Sheet piling



March 3o, 1926.

, 1,578,444 H. M. KNIGHT SHEET FILING Filed August 1o 1921 2sheets-sheet 1 @Fig- I ',I '35 2 'I 2" 1.: I? IIT. .5 'II I 5 f Cj dMarch 30,1926. l ,1,578,444

' H. M. KNIGHT I HEET FILING Filed August 1o, 1921 l 2 sheets-sheet 2 YPatented Mar. 30,

par /aNi-ijftrice.

YHERBERTv M KNIGHT, OFMONTCLAIR, NEW Vantesala?.

f vr.SHEET nimmer;-

Appiicauoniileaaugust 1o, leal. Yserial No. l491,226.'l A 'I To all whomz'z may concern.'

Be it known that I, Herinner ML' KNIGHT,

citizen ofthe United States, andgresident ot Montclair, in thecounty otFieses:l and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Sheet Filing, et which the tollowingisr aVspecification. .i-"

This invention relates toVsheet-,piling and has particular applicationto, sheet-piling made of pre-cast concrete. f Y

One ot they objectsot my inventionpis to produce al sheet-pile otvpre-castv concrete which can'be indefinitely extended as conAV vdit-ions mayrequire. Another object ot the invention is to pro-duce asheet-pile ot precast. concrete wliich'can be jettied to posifA tionduring the process of driving. Stillen-y other object ot the inventionis to produce a sheet-pileof pre-cast concrete that will,r while formingacontinu'ous and'tight vcoderdam, be so 'articulated as to besusceptible ot considerable flexibility in alinement. Stil-l anotherobject of the invention is to produce a sheet-pileot pre-cast concretewhich,

when driven in a colierdani will admit ot complete-'sealing ofthe jointsbetween ,piles by the treezingupfoi the said joints. StillA a furtherobject of the invention ist'o pro duce a sheet-pile, which, when drivenin a l Vcoth-irdam, will permit of the thawing ot a tiozen,"seale'djoint between adjacent sheet piles, torthcir withdrawal or further driveing. Still a further object of therinventi'on is' to produce asheet'fpile, which, dueto recessed or pocketed faces, Vwill bemoreeasily driven than a plain pile. A't'urther object of the invention ,istoA produce avslieetfpile, which,V when located-inL a cotferdam, will beflexibly connected to other piles by means ot" keys. Other objects o tthe invention' willappear from the following description and from theaccompanying; drawings.

Theaccompanying drawings,v Figs. 1 to V inclusive illustrateA the usualand pre ferred embodiment ot the invention but are` not to be consideredas inclusiveot any and all forms in which the invention maybe embodied,'nor as exclusive ot forms othery than those indicated. n f

I illustrate my `invention by the f accompanying drawings in `which Fig.1 is acrosssection of a' coterdam at three levels at the points 1-1, 11and 1-1 ot Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is an interior elevation of two piles 3' `.isa longitudinal' cross-section ot a pileon the line 3-3 ot Fig.fv2;'Fig'.icfis' a cross section ot a pile onthe line l1f-t `o'l:`-'Fig.2,;v Fig. 5 is ay cross-sectionat or near'the bottom i assenibledyon'-the'line'2-2 of Fig. lilig.4

ot' a pile on the line-f of Fig. 2; Fig-Giji's a` longitudinalcrosssection of the 'toot-ot a pile view of thetop of apil-efshowing'thefreeze lng fand thawingconnections; Fig. 8 is VanV y onthe line l6--6 otl5; Fig. 7 is a plan' c5 l elevation of theftopjot' a`jpile on the linek8-,8 ot Fig. 7; Fig. 9 isan elevation ot the j,

bottom section of a. key and Figf'l() isa crosssectionotsucha bottomkey-section, indi-r cati'ng 'the rcturnjbend therein; Fig, 11 is anelevation ot" a keyisectionfon the line 1l-11fot Fig. 13; Fig. 12across-section ot a key-section von, the line 12-12 of Fig. 13; Fig. 13a plan view ot a key-section on the line 13-18 oit' Fig.V 12 5 Fig.14tis a cross-v section otajoint between a supporting and j asuperimposed pile; on the line'l--Mot Fig-.T15 and F1gL15 is aninteriorelevation `of such: ay joint.

' Reterringto the drawings in which simi-v lar numbers referto similarparts; 1 is a c oierdam composed of pre-castV concrete piles havingVdivisional ribs @between the pockets.-

Shoesv 5 with chambers 6 and channels? vare 4 cast in tlieedg'es ot' thepiles and sectional y keys 14: with channels 15 therein areinserted l inthe alined re-entrant grooves of adjacent piles. The keys are providedwith sockets 16 and plugs 17 Iadapted to secure a'driving lit betweenthe sockets andplugs of adjacent .key-sections. A: return bend 18 islocated in the lowestfkeysection. A source of supply 19 ot' a jfreezingcompound is connected to one4 ot the channels of the top key-sectionwith regulating means 2O thereon'v and adischarge means 21'withregulating means 22 is connected' to lthe opposite channel Aof the topkeyesection.y 'A 1engtheningsection23 isl superimposed upon a pile. Boltholes 24 pass through the head 25 ot the pile and bolt holes 26 passthrough the foot 2'2' ofthe io. i

Y nuts 29 and Washe-rsfSO pass through the holes Qlland 26 Yand fastenthe pile and lengthening section together., A slot 3l is cast in thehead of the pile and a slot 32' adaptedl to register with the slotV 3lis cast in the foot of the lengthening section. A

dani-plate 33 adapted to be located rin the '.These defects ,liniitthesuccess and applica-l slot'Sl and toprojeotabove the head 25 ofthe pileand to enter the slot 32 closes the joint between the pile and theylengthening section. `Lugs 34' are east. on bot-h sides of thesectional l'reytvitliv a perforation therethrough adapted to Apermit ofthe insertion .f

of a Wire extending downwardly and engaging an anchor 37 beneath the lugon the bottoni se'ct'ienal key, permitting ofthe hans. y dling and'removal of the sectional key as a -A single unit. VHolespassthrough 'thedarn plateV engaging mortar in the slots 3l and 32.1 Sheet-piling,composed of concrete, either plain or reinifrced, asusually einploye'dl'lieafvy, diflicult to handle, resists driving due to the thicknessusually required, and fproduces an' irregular face, due tothe -lackfofany Acoininon inea'n's, ot guiding the piles n during driving. 'Agaiin`as it is dii'licult'to forni an integral tongue and groove, orsiniilarjtype of joint, a through joint usually exists With-out anybulkhead or other obstructii'igv ineans therein,- perinittting thepractically uniinpedejdlo'iv of Water through vthe .joint `and into vthe interior of the V'structure, or cavity surrounded by the coiferdain.

bility of sheet-piling 'composed of concrete, as usually produced.. Y

The objections and faults 'above enuiner- Hated are corrected in inyinvention by a number of `iinprovenients covering the'forni 'and detailsof the pile,- and Vvin connection with `its use in vconjunction ivith,other and similar piles. j s Vln lorder to overco'ine the defect :ofuncle sirable and unnecessary Weight, Without de- Y "as" duced by theweight ofthe material represented in the recessed face ofthe pile,lwhich inay, and often does, represent What would have been one halfof'tlie Weight of a. pile of uniforin cross-section. This decrease finWeight represents `not only a very .considerable' ,diminution in theaniount l'of 'material employedbut, a. large reduction in cost a' ivell.i But still a further and very iin'poi'-,

'tant -ad'i'fa'iit'age vis 'secured yas a result v 'of this outwardlyand consolidates itat theA saine,

" time, so that a. layer of coinpacted soil sur;

rounds the pile onall sides and presses against all lexposed facesthereof, becoming the chief eleineiit of resistance to the-driving*ofthe pile. But, Vvin the pile herein d escribed, 'due tothe jioclietin'g of vone the faces of the pile, this earth pressure islargeif not entirely, eliininated onthatface,

and an easily driven pile results, and one which canV bepreserved inniorewaccurate alinenient during the. process. of driving. ln long.piles this recessing and easy 'fhandlinggl and, for the p'urpo'seofmeeting tliis'possible defect,-a.nd also to pri;- vide a ineans forlifting and handling the pile, cross, or divisional ribs are employed, Ydividing the recession ofthe face into a inuljtiple 'of pockets. Holesin said divisional ribs, or other means therein, are introduced toadniit of attaching lifting and handlingI devices to thespile. As onelof the divisional ribs is usually'v prenieditatedly located slightlyabove the vcentre lof gravity 'of` the pile, it is at once evidentthat'the transporta'l tion, placing andother processes incident te theWork of usinglthe pile, is very easilyp'er' forined. Y

In the process of locating a cofleijd'ain it is, often necessary ordesirable to Vplace the piling on va vcircular or irregular line. Theordinary pile, rectangular yin section, fdces not lend itself easily to;suclilci'rcular or ir regular forniation, as the "point fof vContactol'-V tlie piles becomes linear ratherthansuperlif cialand the cornersare liable to, either jiai'n or openv too Wide. In the pile herein fdcofthe face inight i lea-dto al Weak andover liinber pile. forsale scribedthe inner r4edges are 4rab'bejted freni the 4inner 'face for a desired fdista-ncefrein the said face. This perniits ofthe pile being arranged ona-v circular 'or irregiilar line Without the cornersV of'adjacent-,piles interfering or being in contact,'the piles ful cruiningabout a point inside of the edges and baci; of `the face, "rathertha-nupon the facial cori`i'ers,fas would 'be the case with 'an ,Y

un-rabbeted pile. The outer edges of the pile are-chfanife'red 'htly toperniit of coii-N reXity in the placing'of the pilesif conditionsrequire such location. In' addition to the gain secured inliexib'ilityfby the rabbeting' and c'hainfering of the pile arises, jafurther advantage is secured in the fact that as a slight openingusually 'exists along'the inner ed`v betli'reeili the adjacent arises,callr'ingniaterial @an 'be inserted therei-iji its produce 'iva't'efrtightness, 'a high-ly Vad vantageous provision, 'especially in VcasesWhere it Het desirable .er attendee' te 'secure sich' iii.

tightness V' by meansv of freezing the joint.'` It is thus seen that thedesirable features ot f articulation., coupled with a means ofiohtainingLightness, are secured in suoli sheet-piling with rabbeted" edges. f e

In'the driving ofany forrnof sheet-piling, especially into soil whichisiirmor', of ir-` regular cliaracter,*the use of a water jet, Vin j.order tobreak up the cohesion of the 'soil and to lubricate the lpassageof aliepile, is afdesirable practice. rThis process becomes anespeciallydesirable feature when the piles which are to be driven areofconcrete,'due to the greater thickness of the piles employed. Theresistance resultingfrom tliedriving of relatively thick concrete pilesVinto the earth" is very great andthe force required and thev lstressesinduced in the4 pile `are both extremek and liable tol injure the ,pilewhile!V it is beingdriven.' Such force is greatly reduced andsuclistresses lare largely eliminated when awaterrijet-'isemployed as an Y'adjunct in sinking the pile. The usual practice, when using the'.waterjet, is'to attach 'it iii some easily removable manner 'to thesurface of thepile, which it follows downward during the driving of vthepile, f and which is withdrawn thereafter, and subsequently applied toother piles. Such methods are primitive and consume valuable time in theapplication of the jet `to the pile, in its removal therefrom and in itssubsequent attachmentto another pile. These objections are met andovercome in the pile illustrated herein by casting the channellcarryingthe water, either as an enclosed pipeV or as a void, in the body of thepile, thereby relieving-any necessity for removal or re-` application.fThesejpipes or vchannels ter;- minate in vopen ends at the footofthepile, from lwhich the wateiis. .discharged with great violence,breaking up and loosening the surrounding earth. Asthe action of aHwater jet is -largely local, the force or energy of the water beingvsoon dissipated,

`in bodies of the usua'l'width of the sheetpiling employed it isVnecessary, to use a multiple of such jets. In theA illustrated pilethese jets are distributed'both at the point of the pile and at the backof the bevel so las to secure the maximum effect at the point ofgreatest resistance. At the top the channels or ducts leave the body of.the-pile just below' the boss of the head, at whichpoint Y they entermanifolds, flexibly connected with some source of Water supply. underpressure.

While it is entirely feasible to drive sheet-j piles of concrete withouta special protec'fl tive shoe, it is found desirable in many-in stances,especiallywhere the driving is liable to: encounter boulders, to providesuch lslices of .castV iron or rsimilarmaterial,4 as a protection'against disintegration of the bottoni of the pile during driving. f Inthe Vspecial pile covered in thisl applicationV thewshoe. ijs f- Asstated perforatedk and chambere'd to provide r-apere: ,i

tures forthe discharge of `the water'jets, suoli chambersJbeingxprovided' with tight connect-ions 'forthe said vjets,by means of;0. /k

before the castingof' the piles iin'- the desired relative and parallelvjection is met and overcomeby means y.o fgfa I special joiningineans,which, while holding .f y 80 j Valineinent, is, sufficiently.`flexible ,to permit i of thev driving ofthe pilelwitliout diiiculty(ir-interference. Ehe/special type of join ing.Y means employed 1s-avkeyoi' the .dumb-v beil-ltypd so called, which is Aadapted to-b'einserted in alined :keyways for re-entrant 7 groovescastin the edgesofthe juxtaposed piles. The re-eiitrant grooves havel a cross,-

sect-ion sufficiently .larger'than vthe' head lof i the key to permit aconsiderable latitude `of .99

motion in thev adjacent piles withoutbinding Y or undue str ess, the 1superficies of said grooves being arcs of circles not concentric withthe'arcs of the superficies ofthe heads of thekeys lheselreys` areinserted in the grooves while the piles "are being'jset inposition andact 'as yguides during the l descent of .the piles.- -Tlieyffurthermoreactas @bullas heads'. closing the vopening between the'rpiles .andmaterialyassistin preventing theintilv tration of water.'y i Y f Thesekeys alsovperform.v an additional and very importantfi'inction inlthattheybecome theinstrumentby means-of kwhich itV is' pos-A sible tocompletely seal .the joint between- ,theY adj acent piles, absolutelyand entirely "v preventing any vleakage through the sheetpiling kof the'coderdanrl Thesevkeys-,are

usually of castiron' andliaveholes; cast iii` Ythem through the bulb oftliefkey, said holes,

except in the case of the lowest keyfsection", passing entirely throughthe saidvkey.v f 'The keys., are madeup ofi-a multiple ofV sectionsWhich have socketson' one yend and onjthe .opposite ends areplugs'slightly larger than and of the saine-form asthe sockets, adaptedt0 secure adriving lit into the said sockets, thus securiiigasatisfactorily, tight union between the keyseotions.A vThe'lowest lie,4tion, whichvr rests -upon the bottoni gotthe entrant gr-o0ves,'is castwith a return bend therein. The top key-section 'istitted to re-yceiveiy al double connection to a briifievtanlrv as part of a4refrigerating apparatus,Bi-ine, at a temperature below "that of.freezing water, is cnveyeddo-wntliecchannelin one side oftheffperforated keysections, through the return bend in thebottoing-lrey-section and back throughjtlie channel oiitllie opposite'.side of; the perforated lkeysgrconipletng f izo f ooA 23 position. TheYpile herein yillustrated provides iii kan admirable mannerv for any and'a circuit, duringv Whi'clnthe W'fateisurrounding the 'keys and Withinthe re-entrant.

groo'ves'is frozen, such freezing completely closing the joint.Subsequently, and When for the .purpose of Withdraiving'the :pi-le'or`otherwise, it is desired to unseal thejoint, steam or Thot Water ispassed -th'rougl'i the hollow key-sections melting the .ice whichsurround the keys, thereby making possible the re-inoval of the pilesWithout binding at the joints, 'a source of greatditiiculty and expensein the removal of 'steel'fsheet-piling The use vof such hollow keys andkey-Waysisseen to ygive the desired iiexibilityoit joint With 'positivepositioning, and to provide `a perfect means for sealing the jointsagainst 'ii'iltration When making4 deep excavations it some-` timesbecomes imperative' to use .a longer length of sheet-pilingthan wasdeemed necessary or than Was provided, such neces- Isity demandingcostly additions or undesirableexpediente.V The usual type ot concretepilejor of'steelshee-tepiling is not adapted to lengthening vafter ithas Vbeen located'in allz subsequent increases in lei'igth which cir-Vflowersection and 'to be c'e'niientedvv therein, f

`"cunista'nces or'eXpediency may demand.V The headvof the pile is lcastwith a "groove or slot therein, 'adapted to register ivitlirva sinii-larslot cast in the footV ofthe additional length Awhich is to besuperimposed thereon, after the l'ocationand possibly after the drivingof the bottom" pile.l JA dani-plate is cemented into this slot intheuppersection projecting'below t'heffoo't of the {lengtheningV section.so as to 'fente'r `the slot in the thereby se-aling the horizontaljoint between the tivo sections of the lengthened pile. Bolt holes passthrough the :toot vand he'adre- -spectively of Vthe upper and loive'rsections and bolts passing therethrougli'and brought into contact WithWashers ibymeans of nuts on the said bolts fasten tlietivo sectionsfoifvthe lengthened pile firmly together. Keys,

similar to thojse'previou'sly described :asfeni-V ployed in thelowers'ectiom are 'inserted in the re-entraiitfgrooves o'i' the uppersection,l

ing it'in its descent.

- that I claim isz; Y

1 7A pre-cast slieet-pi'lehaving a multiple of pockets in' the facethereot.

holding the upper section laterally and guid- 2. A pre-cast sheet-pilehaving pockets iny a Vviface thereof, transverse divisional ribs.bepockets and handling means in tween said said ribs. 'A prefcastsheet-pile', 'edges to the said pile, re-entra'ntgrooves "in saidedges,the boundary lines of sa-idgro'oves being entirely curvilinear.' l

i i. 4A presagi' sheal prie, afasie-erstere Sa-i' pile; en inner tatie,in Sai-d 'i1-rner face, inward-ly extending edges,tra-iisversedivisional ribs in said inner face eX- tendingbetiveen saidedges, chamfered corf ners y.connecting said outer face .and said edges,rabbets in the 'interior corners of said.V

edges and yre-entrant 'grooves in said edges.`

5. In a structu'refofthe class described, the

. combination of a multiple o'tpre-oast sheet-v ',piles, eac-h of saidpiles having an outer face, an inner face, pockets in .said inner face,inwardly 'extending edges, transverse divisional ribs in said'innertace, lchanite-red corners connec-tin edges, -rabbets on edges,re-entrant ygrooves in said edges, saidy 0' saidputer face and said*grooves inf adjacent piles registering and keys in said registeringgrooves.

the interior corners of said` eoY 6. Inra structure of the classVdescribed, Y

lthe combination of a multiple oi' Vpre-cast sheet-piles, 'eac-h of saidpiles havingan oiiter tace, an inner face, pockets in said inner AVAtace, inwardly entendingwedges, transverse divisional ribs in said'innerl tace, chanifered corners connecting said outerfface and .saidedges, rabbetson the interior corners otsaid edges, rie-entrantgroovesin said edges, said Y.

vgrooves in adjacent piles registering and sectional keys in saidvregistering grooves.

7. In a. structure off the class described, the vcoinbinatioiiof amultiple of pre-cast sheet piles, said piles havin'gan outer face, aninner face, pockets in said inner face, inwardly extending; edges,transversel divisional ribs in 'said inner face, chamfered cornersconnecting said outer face 'and said edges, ra'bbets yon the interiorcorners of said edges, lre-entraliit groovesin safid edges, said groovesin adjacent piles registering, perforated sectional keysQin saidregistering grooves and means" coiiiiectingfsaid keysV tops Aand plugsin the bottoms of said sec# tions, said sockets andsaid plugs of adja:cent sections being juxtaposed and register 0. In a 'struc-ture of theclass described, a! perforated key'con'iposed vOia multiple of' Viii.-dependent and similar sections, each of said sections having 'a lugonopfposite sides thereof. f ,f

-1-1. In astructure of the class described, a

.perfo-rated 'composed "of multiple .ef-1.

-niultiple of 'pre-cast slieet-piles having -in f independent andsimilar sections, each of ifi said sections having a perforated lugA onopposite sides thereof. j

l2. In a structure of the vclass described, :t perforated key composedof aniultiple of independent and sin'iilat sections, each ofsaidsections having a pentorated lug on opposite sides thereof and means,passing. thro-ugh. said peitoiations in said lugs for handling saidkeys.

13. ln astiuetuie of the class described, a multiple of supportingpiles', va multiple` of supei'iii'iposed piles, means positioning saidvsuperimposed piles -upon said supporting piles, means vfastening saidsuperimposed and supporting piles together, each of said piles .having`an outer *if-ace, an iniieiyfaee,pocketsin said innermtaee, inwardlyextending edges, transverse divisional ribs' in said iiinei"V face,chaint'eied ,coinei's connecting saidV outeiv 20" face and said edges,`4i'zdibets" onl the interior corners ot said edges, re-entiant gioovesinsaid edges, said grooves `in adjacent pilesl *registeringperforated'keys iii said"ijegisteiqu ing grooves andinea-nsconn'eotingsaid keys' 25 HERBERT M. KNIGHT.

